Array and Hash in JavaScript : materials for FAQ : v2

[VK]

A while ago I proposed to update info in the group FAQ section, but I
dropped the discussion using the approach "No matter what color the cat
is as long as it still hounts the mice". Over the last month I had
enough of extra proof that the cat doesn't hount mice anymore in more
and more situations. And the surrent sicretisme among array and hash is
the base for it.

I summarized all points in this article:
<http://www.geocities.c om/schools_ring/ArrayAndHash.ht ml>

I invite all members of the previous discussion, as well as anyone
interested in Array vs Hash mechanics in JavaScript to read this
article and to express your opinion (if any).

As each point in the article is illustrated by a concrete code sample,
I expect do not see any abstract considerations/injurations. But of
course factual mistakes illustrated by contre-samples should be edited
immediately.

[VK]

>> As you don't need to allocate memory

for your var's (talking JavaScript only).

The second sentence doesn't make sense.
Simply means that you *usually* don't have to worry about memory
menagement issues in JavaScript (variables, baskets etc.). And if you
even had have some worries, the only way to handle them would be a pill
of Prozac because JavaScript itself has nearly nothing to offer.
Do you really know what a hash table is?

I guess I do. But if you have ideas how to check something for
"hashness" for 100% guarantee, I would love to hear it. That qualities
should be tested and what responses should be received?

[John G Harris]

In article <11************ *********@z14g2 000cwz.googlegr oups.com>, VK
<sc**********@y ahoo.com> writes

As you don't need to allocate memory
for your var's (talking JavaScript only).

The second sentence doesn't make sense.

Simply means that you *usually* don't have to worry about memory
menagement issues in JavaScript (variables, baskets etc.). And if you
even had have some worries, the only way to handle them would be a pill
of Prozac because JavaScript itself has nearly nothing to offer.

Do you really know what a hash table is?

I guess I do. But if you have ideas how to check something for
"hashness" for 100% guarantee, I would love to hear it. That qualities
should be tested and what responses should be received?

It looks as though you don't know what can go wrong with the hashing
function, the function that turns key values into bucket numbers.

I can only conclude that you really don't know what a hash table is.

John
--
John Harris

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

"VK" <sc**********@y ahoo.com> writes:

Please include attributions for your quotes!

Do you really know what a hash table is?

I guess I do. But if you have ideas how to check something for
"hashness" for 100% guarantee, I would love to hear it. That qualities
should be tested and what responses should be received?

Then I would say that you don't.

A hast table is an implementation of an associative array that uses
hash values (numbers) calculated from key values to do approx.
constant time lookup.

There are no external qualities, except time compliexity of
operations, that distinguish a hash based implementation from other
choices of implementation.

The 100% guarantee only requires looking at the code implementing
the associative array.

/L
--
Lasse Reichstein Nielsen - lr*@hotpop.com
DHTML Death Colors: <URL:http://www.infimum.dk/HTML/rasterTriangleD OM.html>
'Faith without judgement merely degrades the spirit divine.'